ROCKLAND, ME – In May, Make-A-Wish Maine will host its 12th annual Walk For Wishes at six locations across Maine including Rockland on Thursday, May 17. The Walk will start at the Congregational Church on Limerock Street. Registration and entertainment will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the walk will begin at 6:00 p.m.
Walkers will be able to enjoy music by Cole Barbour and Aaron Clarke as well as food and beverages before and after the 3.5 mile walk.
Other Walk For Wishes around the state include Auburn, Portland, Saco, Dennysville, Bangor. To learn more and to register, visit www.maine.wish.org
More than 1025 children with life-threatening illnesses in Maine have received their greatest wish since the chapter opened its doors 20 years ago. Of these wishes, 138 have been for children in the Midcoast region of Maine.
All wish children face a life-threatening medical condition, like 10-year-old Makayla of Belfast who lives with leukemia and had her wish come true to visit Walt Disney World.
A wish granted replaces fear with happiness and helps a child to feel like a normal kid who is less isolated and more empowered to take back control of his/her life. More than 80% of parents to wish children observed a decrease in their children’s anxieties or fears after receiving their wish.
“It all came full circle,” said Makayla’s father, Matt. “Everything she went through for two and a half years has been wiped away with this one week. When she looks back on this period in her life, she won’t think of the pain, the doctors, losing her hair or her hospital stays. She’ll think of the fun memories she made with her family at Disney World thanks to Make-A-Wish.”
Other recent wishes in the area include Jordon, 14, of Bath attending WWE’s Monday Night RAW event and Dylan, 4, of Tenants Harbor who went to Walt Disney World. Upcoming wishes include visiting Legoland, a trip to Fiji, attending the E3 Gaming Expo in LA, a swing set and more.
This is a critical fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Maine and all money raised in Maine stays in Maine to help local children. Adults who raise at least $100 and youths under 18 who raise at least $50 will receive a free Walk For Wishes t-shirt.
To register for the Rockland Walk for Wishes (or any other location), visit www.maine.wish.org or call (800) 491-3171. All walk participants can manage pledges, donations, teams and emails directly online.
The Foundation plans to grant the wishes of over 38 seriously-ill Maine children before the end of this summer, which averages a cost of $228,000. Each participant in the Walk For Wishes and the leading sponsor, Spectrum Medical Group, will ensure that future wishes will continue to bring hope, strength, and joy to every child in Maine who is battling a life-threatening illness.
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| Makayla, 10, of Belfast battled leukemia and went to Walt Disney World for her wish. A wish is granted to a Maine child every five days by Make-A-Wish Maine and the community is invited to help raise critical funds for the organization at the Rockland Walk For Wishes. |
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The Maine Chapter of Make-A-Wish opened in 1992. As of Nov. 2011, we have granted over 1000 wishes. This coming year, the Foundation expects to grant the greatest wish of over 75 seriously ill Maine children, which is an average of one wish every five days. The average cost of a wish is $6,000. All money raised in Maine stays in Maine. Of the money donated, 77% goes towards program expenses (granting wishes), which is 12% more than the minimum required of non-profits by the Better Business Bureau. All wish expenses are fully covered by Make-A-Wish. Make-A-Wish Maine is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and all contributions are tax deductible.
The Maine chapter has over 200 volunteers statewide, and a staff of six. Our office is located at 477 Congress Street, Suite M1, in Portland. For more information about Make-A-Wish Maine, visit www.maine.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish
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